


Blood from the Clean

by Myka



Category: Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Angst, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2008-07-02
Updated: 2008-07-02
Packaged: 2017-11-05 11:18:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/405809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myka/pseuds/Myka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post GS4. Phoenix is murdered and a bloodied photograph is left as evidence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 3:00 AM

The phone rang ten minutes before three in the morning. It wasn't that unusual in this line of work, people that broke the law didn't care for business hours. "Edgeworth here," Miles answered on the second ring, keeping the drowsiness to a minimum.

"Ah, Mr. Edgeworth," the other voiced seemed unprepared by the quick response. "I'm at a crime scene, sir and... well..."

"Well what?" Edgeworth snapped loosing his patience a bit. He could hear Gumshoe practically squirm. "Sorry. Go on."

"I think you need to come over, sir."

"Do you have a suspect in custody? Is it a murder?"

"No, sir..." Gumshoe lowered his voice. "We believe it's a suicide, sir."

"Then why are you calling me?" Edgeworth glared. He was going to have a serious talk with the detective about this.

"It's Mr. Wright, sir."

The world froze. "Ex- excuse me?" Edgeworth was still too tired. It was the lack of sleep. Surely he'd heard wrong.

"I'm at Mr. Wright's place, sir. Someone called the police about an hour ago and-"

"Don't say it!" Edgeworth was sitting up now, hand covering his eyes. He took a deep breath. "I apologize. I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and got dressed. He doesn't remember leaving the apartment, or getting in his car, or driving for that matter. When he got to Phoenix's building there was only two marked police cars there. He took the stairs two at a time, arriving a little breathless to the tenth floor.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Gumshoe exclaimed, surprised to see him so soon.

Edgeworth froze for a moment. Finally coming to realization that he was actually in front of Phoenix's apartment and that indeed there was that yellow tape blocking the entrance to the it. It all became very surreal after that. He tried to go into the apartment and Gumshoe and another policeman stopped him.

"I don't think that's a good idea, sir." Gumshoe said.

"Why?" Edgeworth said through gritted teeth. "You called me here didn't you? This is my-"

"We needed to call next of kin and well..." Gumshoe scratched the corner of his head. "We couldn't find how to contact Mr. Wright's family, or the Fey's for that matter and... actually... you were the only contact on Mr. Wright's cell phone."

"What?" Edgeworth was dumbstruck by that. Because it was impossible. "You said it was a suicide right?" he asked in a lowered voice.

"Yes, we are pretty sure it is."

"Pretty sure?" Edgeworth was glaring again. "That isn't good enough. Let me see him."

Gumshoe seemed to understand that no matter what, Edgeworth wasn't backing down. "Ok, pal, but I think I should warn you as Mr. Wright's friend, it's pretty bad in there. Actually I..." Gumshoe's detective face faltered for a second. "I was Mr. Wright's friend too."

"Let me see him," Edgeworth ordered.

Gumshoe nodded. "Officer, Wyman, could you please go to the car and bring the report papers? We should start filling them out."

"Yes, sir."

Edgeworth didn't wait for the young police officer to disappear from the corner of the hallway before making his way to Phoenix's apartment. The last five steps were the hardest, because inwardly Edgeworth still had the slight hope that this was all a horrible nightmare. But as he glanced into the apartment he saw the blood, could even smell it. This was all very real. He stepped inside, holding his breath.

Phoenix's body was in the middle of the living room. A couple of items were askew about, some thrown in the floor, but nothing that couldn't be attributed to a messy apartment. And yes, there was indeed a gun not too far away from Phoenix's hand. And yet it was all wrong. This wasn't right. Edgeworth couldn't exactly explain how he knew, but he _knew_.

He closed his eyes. "I want you to call reinforcements, detective."

"Hm?" Gumshoe jumped, surprised. "Why, sir?"

"Because this isn't a suicide, detective. This is a murder scene."

Gumshoe's eyes widened a bit. "Right away, sir!" he said almost excitedly and half ran out of the apartment.

Edgeworth thought it was such a Gumshoe thing not to question him. It was also a Gumshoe thing to leave him alone in the apartment when five minutes earlier he was so intent in accompanying him. Edgeworth's eyes fixed on the body. The body. A body. Dead. Phoenix was dead.

Miles was going to be sick. He barely made it to the alley behind the building, his dinner now a mess in a corner. His body wouldn't cooperate with him, his legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees, gripping the wall for support. He opened his mouth, taking one deep breath after the other slowly. It was like trying to learn how to breathe. He just needed to breathe.

It was an hour before he could go back to the apartment.


	2. Blood Photo

The first piece of evidence that arrived at Edgeworth's office was a bloodied photograph. It was a polaroid of two girls he knew well, Maya Fey, and Pearl Fey. Their names on the bottom, a date, and covered with Phoenix's blood. Miles stared at it longer than necessary. Holding the small plastic bag the picture was in. He had already memorized the report that had come with it. It only confirmed that the blood was indeed Phoenix's and that there were two distinctive fingerprints on the back of the picture that had yet to be analyzed. Those were probably Phoenix's as well.

There were photographs of the scene in a folder atop his desk. Miles had glanced at them for a mere moment before closing the file and pushing it away, unable to see them without his throat acting up. His stomach still couldn't handle food. The sensible part of himself told him he was a masochist for insisting all files to be sent to him personally instead of the prosecutor assigned to the case. An abuse of power as district attorney some might say, but Miles didn't care.

"Excuse me, sir," the little intercom beeped with Hanna's voice. "Detective Skye is here to see you."

"Let her in," he pressed the button. "Miss, Skye," Edgeworth stood to formally greet the woman. "Any updates?"

Ema nodded, her mouth a set line, her eyes somewhat puffy and red. "I found Phoenix's- I mean Mr. Wright's daughter."

"You don't have to be so professional around me, Miss Skye," Edgeworth tried to smile to assure her, but it came short.

Ema nodded slowly. "Trucy was at the Gramarye residence. She's unharmed. It seems she has been there for the past two days and had last talked to Phoenix the day of the... the day of the murder."

"She's all right then?" Edgeworth asked, his eyes almost betraying his calmed exterior.

"Yes, sir." Ema confirmed.

"Thank god..." he muttered, closing his eyes for a moment.

"She doesn't know," Ema cut in, biting her lip. "About Phoenix. I couldn't- I didn't have the heart to tell her."

Edgeworth felt a little dread at the news, but quickly calmed when he saw Ema's face. "That's all right. I should be the one to tell her after all." Ema sigh in some kind of relief and Miles grabbed his jacket opening the door. Ema walked out of the office and he followed closing the door behind him. "Call me when you get any new information, Miss Skye, then forward the information to prosecutor Gavin. I'll be at the Gramarye residence."

Thalassa Gramarye opened the door three seconds after Miles had rung the doorbell. "Miles, thank goodness," she exhaled with tears in her eyes.

"Ms. Gramarye..."

"I told you to call me by my name ages ago, specially now-" she gasped.

"You were told?" Edgeworth asked even if he knew.

Thalassa was crying earnestly now. "How could this happen? I don't understand-"

"Mommy?" Thalassa covered her mouth with her hand. "Mommy what's wrong?" Trucy asked coming closer from the back of the house. "Uncle Miles? Is that you?"

"Yes, Trucy." Miles came into the house as he put a comforting hand on Thalassa's shoulder. "Ms. Gra- Thalassa would you mind making some tea if it's not too much trouble?"

Thalassa nodded slowly, getting the hint, leaving the two alone.

"Let's sit in the living room, Trucy." Miles took the girl's hand and led her to the next room, sitting in the nearest couch.

"What happened to daddy?" Trucy asked, surprising Miles. She met his eyes. "Detective Skye came earlier this morning and asked me some weird questions, mommy has been crying ever since and tries to hide it, and daddy told me that you were too busy this week to stay at home and now you're here." There were tears of frustration on the corner of her eyes. "Nobody will tell me anything! Uncle, Miles tell me! Is daddy ok?"

Miles put his hands on her shoulders as he had done when she was smaller and needed it. "No," he swallowed hard. "He's not ok."

He told her.

"Nooo," Trucy sobbed, putting her hands together, shaking. "No no no." Miles could do nothing but pull her to him, hold her as she cried on his shoulder. Rocking her gently as if she were nine years old once more. Biting his lip so hard it bled. There was nothing else he could do, nothing he could say. There were no appropriate words. No appropriate phrases. 'It's going to be alright' wasn't even an option, because really, it wasn't going to be.


	3. Findings

Apollo joined them an hour later, flustered, red eyed, and already informed thanks to Klavier. He joined them on the living room, taking a spot beside Trucy and holding her hand. Very few words were spoken over the next hour. Thalassa would query about food or water which was declined every time, until finally she'd had enough and announced that they had to eat something before the day was over and pulled Trucy with her to the kitchen.

Edgeworth thought it was a brilliant distraction, any moment that Trucy was not spending crying was a moment in a positive direction.

"How are you feeling?" Edgeworth glance sideways at Apollo. He had almost forgotten the young attorney was still in the room. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean-" the young man fidgeted. "Prosecutor Gavin told me he would be prosecuting when they find a suspect," he tried to change the subject. "I-" he cleared his throat. "I want to help!" he shouted a little to loudly, finding himself embarrassed further.

Edgeworth actually smiled, even if it was just for a brief second. "Thank you, Justice."

The young man nodded, then suddenly jumped at the sound of an odd high tone. "I'm sorry!" Apollo jumped scrambling into his pocket for his cell phone. "Apollo Justice speaking," he said flustered. "Ah, Gavin... What? Slow down, Gavin. Mr. Edgeworth? Yes, he's here. Speak slower, Gavin, I can't understand you. I don't understand German either, Gavin. Gavin... Ga- Klavier! Slow-down." Apollo pursed his lips, but just hummed and nodded after that, his eyes widening for a second, and quickly passing the phone to Miles. "Mr. Edgeworth, prosecutor Gavin needs to talk to you."

Edgeworth grabbed the phone a little apprehensively. "Yes?"

Klavier Gavin's voice was rushed. "Mr. Edgeworth, zum Abschluss! Ahh, excuse me, sir. Fräulein Skye and myself have been trying to contact you for the past hour. Your phone seems to be out of range." Miles swore under his breath, he had forgotten his cell phone was on silent.

"What happened?" Edgeworth stood to step out of the room.

"The fingerprints on the photograph. They've been analyzed. One of them does belong to Mr. Wright like you suspected."

"Only one?" Edgeworth's hopes raised a bit, this could be it.

"The other belongs to Maya Fey."

"Maya..." Edgeworth's hopes slumped. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for that, Gavin."

"I agree, sir, but..."

Edgeworth sensed the apprehension in the young man's voice. "Tell me what happened, Gavin." It wasn't a request.

"They want to arrest Miss Fey and charge her with Mr. Wright's murder."

Edgeworth gritted his teeth. His family had gone through enough in just one day. "I won't allow that."

"I thought you might say that..." Klavier faltered a bit.

"What does that mean?" Edgeworth was angry now.

"Mr. Edgeworth... I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but because of your personal involvement in this case, the mayor has ordered you'd be on paid leave until further notice."

"Without talking to me first?"

"It's already done, sir."

Miles had the urge to trash the phone. "Who's replacing me?"

"Prosecutor Payne, sir."

"That idiot..." This was all happening too fast. "I have to make a call. Call Justice if you hear anything new." Miles returned the small red phone to its owner, and picked his own, dialing the numbers half wildly. He spent the next five minutes yelling, cursing, and calling people names he had never used before. It was such a ruckus that Apollo called Trucy and Thalassa because frankly he was too afraid to approach the man himself.

They stared for a while, unsure on exactly how to calm the man. "He's going to have a stroke if he doesn't stop," Apollo whispered, he didn't even realized he had said the words out loud until Trucy was looking at him with wide, mournful eyes.

"Trucy I didn't-" the young attorney started to apologize, but Trucy ignored him and walked up to Edgeworth who was still pacing and yelling.

"You have no business forcing that decision on me! You think I'm just going to step back and watch as-" Trucy grabbed the hand holding the phone and pulled it away from Edgeworth's ear.

"Uncle, Miles..." she started, her voice breaking halfway. Miles stopped and looked at her. She was crying again. "Papa please," she begged, wrapping her arms around his waist suddenly and hiding her face in his chest. Miles opened his mouth, but quickly closed it, letting the phone slip from his fingers so he could hold her shaking shoulders.

Thalassa quietly left the room after a minute. At heart she wanted to join, but she couldn't help but feel like an outsider. Apollo started to follow when-

"Justice?"

He turned halfway at the sound of his name, still trying not to intrude. "Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Miles looked up. "I need you to do me a favor.


End file.
